Media Matters' Joe Strupp:
Several CNN on-air journalists are criticizing Dana Loesch's recent comments supporting the U.S. Marines who allegedly urinated on the dead bodies of Taliban forces.
Loesch, a CNN contributor, made the comments during her radio show Thursday. Among other things, Loesch said of the incident: "I'd drop trou and do it too."
Such views brought sharp criticism from some CNN on-air reporters.
"I can't imagine someone really thinking that, it is so outrageous," said one CNN reporter who requested anonymity. "I think she is trying to garner attention to herself, and that is sad. If that is what she truly believes, she has issues. If you look at that video, I don't care who you are, your stomach should turn.
"The problem with these contributors is they aren't under the same guidelines journalists are, and CNN journalists are. We have very clear ways of doing business. When you have these people we bring in to spice up our airwaves, it is going to happen. It is concerning, obviously."
Another regular CNN journalist added: "I am of the school of thought, 'Why aren't we putting people who are knowledgeable on the air?' I'll just say 'Ewww.' I think it's in poor taste."
A third CNN journalist who has been reporting on the story said Loesch is misguided in thinking that defending the Marines' alleged actions amount to being supportive of the military.
"If she is thinking that she is somehow supporting the military, any source in the military will tell you she is not," the journalist said. "It is so distasteful for the military. It is a black eye. Clearly, everyone I've talked to said that is not acceptable."
At least one regular CNN political contributor took issue with the comments and with CNN's handling of Loesch and other right-wing contributors:
"What's interesting is how the kid gloves are applied to outlandish comments made by the likes of Erick Erickson or Dana Loesch and how it has a negative impact on the CNN brand," said the contributor, who also requested anonymity. "There really is no pushback or no real conversation that says, 'Look, you make these kinds of comments or you write these kinds of wild, crazy stuff, that's just not what we're about.' It simply doesn't happen. I think there is fear of saying anything to them because they are Tea Party folks, and there has been a clear effort on the part of our political team to court that whole Tea Party thought process, if you will."
This afternoon on her radio show, she responded back to her critics, in her usual snide and harshly inappropriate way:
CNN's Dana Loesch responded to the growing controversy surrounding her comments dismissing outrage over video apparently showing U.S. Marines urinating on dead bodies by saying that her critics "felt as though these Marines should be bowing to the Taliban ... just like this administration does."
Loesch tried to explain her comments:
The reaction to what these Marines did is disproportionate to the actual offense: beyond disproportionate. They'll be dealt with it. Get over it. And that was my entire point.
That was far from Loesch's "entire point." In fact, she went on to say that the individuals shown in the video should be awarded "a million cool points" and went on question whether "there's supposed to be a scandal that someone pees on the corpse of a Taliban fighter" and bragged, "I'd drop trou and do it, too."
Loesch's comments were widely condemned throughout the day Friday, leading her to lash out at her critics with the suggestion that they sided with the Taliban:
I think the progressives felt as though that these Marines should be bowing to the Taliban, and every other combatant, and every other foreign entity just like this administration does. So my whole point was to say that your whole reaction was ridiculous.
From the 01.13.2012 edition of KFTK's The Dana Show:
CNN's own Roland Martin condmens Loesch hard:
CNN contributor and conservative radio host Dana Loesch said on her radio show that she not only thinks the Marines who urinated on dead Taliban soldiers are cool, but she’d be willing to join them.
After playing a news clip describing the video, Loesch said, “I’d drop trou and do it too. That’s me, though. I want a million cool points for these guys.” She wondered why there was any kind of scandal surrounding the incident.
Her vile and disgustingly coarse comments regarding the US Marines urinating on dead Taliban corpses have been widely condemned, including me.
Dear Dana Loesch, YOU better owe a damn apology to the US Marines, or you can kiss your CNN job goodbye!
Dear Dana Loesch (@dloesch), you ought to be ashamed of yourself for saying such vile crap on air. #loeschfail #danaloesch #dlrs #cnn
— Justin Gibson (@JGibsonDem) January 13, 2012
If any more news breaks on this, it will be posted here.
More coverage here:
http://justinspoliticalcorner.tumblr.com/tagged/Dana-Loesch
http://danabusted.blogspot.com/2012/01/on-big-journalism-loesch-made-shoddy.html
http://danabusted.blogspot.com/2012/01/loeschs-blatant-islamophobia-strikes.html
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